A mom from New Jersey is on a mission to unearth more information that could shed light on a possible cancer cluster at her kids' high school.
Edyta Komorek, an environmental scientist, told "Good Morning America" that she was concerned her township was not doing enough to address these issues, so she decided to launch her own study. Komorek gathered soil, dust, and caulk samples and sent them to outside laboratories for testing.
Komorek said that the results of the study identified four compounds. They are polychlorinated biphenyls and three pesticides: chlordane, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide. Komorek noted that those three compounds are known or are probable carcinogens.
Komorek's study has alarming results
Komorek also claimed that the testing results showed higher levels of compounds that could potentially cause cancer. She explained that those levels exceeded Environmental Protection Agency standards, NJ.com reported.
Komorek's results have not been confirmed or vetted by outside scientists. Dr. Arif Kamal, the chief patient officer of the American Cancer Society, said they should proceed with a bit of caution.
Kamal said that residents in the area are not in immediate danger. He did say, however, that it is appropriate for authorities to thoroughly investigate higher-than-expected rates of brain tumors in a community.
Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey, grabbed national headlines in April after more than 100 former students and staff reported online that they had been diagnosed with brain tumors, spanning three decades. About half of the cases recorded had been determined to be cancerous.
Al Lupiano, a former student, told "GMA" that it was shocking, and he couldn't believe that a husband and wife could both have an acoustic neuroma at the same time. Lupiano asked what is the likelihood of that happening.
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Komorek says air testing should be done immediately
Officials in Woodbridge Township, where Colonia High School is located, opened an investigation regarding the reported cancer cluster but said they found no significant radiation at the high school building. Exposure to radiation is one of the biggest risk factors for brain tumors.
Woodbridge Township Mayor John E. McCormac said after the investigation that everybody concluded there was no need for further testing and that the grounds and the buildings were 100 percent safe.
Komorek remains unconvinced, though, of those findings, believing there could be other possible causes, My Central Jersey reported. She thinks that air testing should be done immediately in the area to determine whether or not there are hazardous levels of those chemicals in the indoor air.
After the results of Komorek's own study were released, she decided to transfer her daughters out of their high school. The school said they sent the study results of Komorek to state health and environmental agencies.
